AN MP and a county councillor have praised the progress being made on construction of Porthmadog’s new £8.5 million extra care housing scheme.

Plaid Cymru’s Liz Saville Roberts, MP for Dwyfor Meirionnydd, and Selwyn Griffiths, Gwynedd Councillor for Porthmadog, visited the development, located on the site of the former Hafod y Gest care home.

Housing association Grwp Cynefin is developing the scheme in partnership with Gwynedd Council, to provide independent living accommodation to older and vulnerable people.

The politicians were shown round by Grwp Cynefin chief executive Walis George, who said: “Good progress has been made clearing the site.

We are currently completing demolition of the main Hafod y Gest building.”

The Hafod y Gest scheme will provide extra care accommodation for elderly people in the area, combined with a number of social and recreational facilities, with care and support services available on site.

It will feature 40 one and two-bedroom apartments offering 24-hour care, and a community hub with activity and hobbies rooms, fitness, beauty and therapy rooms, lounge and restaurant.

Mrs Saville Roberts said: “An investment of this magnitude in Porthmadog is to be warmly welcomed.

"Older people deserve care and facilities of the highest standard, and the people of Dwyfor will, no doubt, welcome this new development. I look forward to seeing Hafod y Gest develop and congratulate Grwp Cynefin and Gwynedd Council for their partnership approach.”

See the full story in Thursday’s Arfon/Dwyfor edition of the Cambrian News